Morris's Fuji Birds In Flight and Action Setup – Updated 5/7/2025
My settings are developed using the X-H2s and previously on the X-T3.
Firmware 7.1 has returned the X-H2s wonderful performance and reliable focus for still photography.
I’m now coining the term Fujiism, the odd things that Fuji cameras do that we know are wrong yet Fuji fails to fix them. I’ve learned to address some Fujiisims. The first is when you point at a subject and it’s so out of the focus that it’s not clear that there is something in front of the lens resulting in the camera laughing at you and doing nothing. The first thing I try is lifting my finger and then starting focus over. When that fails, I’ll zoom wider and usually the gain in DOF is enough to coax the camera to focus and then you can zoom back in while continuing to tell the camera to focus. Another approach is to pre-focus or focus closer than your subject will be. The camera searches for focus from near to far so being too close can work. When using a lens with focus preset, set the preset closer than you expect your subject to be and you can press the focus recall and then the camera will seek out. If there is a bird in flight, point down below it and then back to the bird will let you acquire focus.
Dealing with obstruction and the camera detects the subject yet focuses on the obstruction. Switch to manual focus or single point. It’s ridiculous that the camera has detected the subject yet dose not focus on it! Come on Fuji!
With V 7.1, TCs only work well in single point. If you use Zone or Wide/Tracking expect hunting.
If you are using an older camera that dose not have subject detection, you will probably get many more in focus images if you set Release/Focus Priority to Focus. This will slow the burst rate yet the improvement is dramatic.
I’ll add more workarounds for Fujiisims as I remember them.
Below is my Zone AF setup:
If you had this setup bookmarked, please change to this post as the old one has been archived and I can no longer edit it.
The X-H2s has replaced one of my X-T3 bodies and is my primary birds in flight camera. I’ve based the X-H2s on my X-T3 Birds in Flight Setup. It is important to understand that Subject Detection and Subject Eye Detection have priority over the configured AF configuration. When you point at a bird the camera will use the configured focus mode and AF-C settings to focus till it is able to see a subject and then it will switch to subject detection to focus and track it.
The X-H2s’s EVF is very bright and even waring glasses I have no trouble using it in bright sunlight. If you are using it with the electronic shutter lag is near zero and flicker is not evident making it very easy to track your subject as if you were using an SLR. A huge improvement over previous Fuji cameras.
I use AF-C with Zone Focus Mode. Set the zone to 3 boxes and steer with the focus stick as needed. I have been experimenting and have been using the following settings since April of 2019 (on my X-T3):
Tracking sensitivity: 4
Speed tracking sensitivity: 1
Zone area switching: Front
- 5/7/2025 I now recommend Zone are switching: Front. I used to recommend center. This helps prevent focus jumping to the background and looks better on flocks of birds.
- 12/18/2024 Updated for X-H2s firmware 7.1 and removed the recommendation to try Wide/Tracking rather than Zone.
- 12/18/2024 Unified for all Fuji Cameras
- 12/31/2023 Subject Detection Bird is a wonderful asset to our cameras and works wonderfully when the subject is stationary. When a bird is in flight it can work and tends to work well when the subject is moving across the field of view. When the subject is flying toward us, the X-H2s sometimes fails to keep up with the subject and may even louse the subject. This situation is worse as the bird gets very close and starts to fill the frame. After about a month of testing various settings to address this, I've concluded that the solution is to turn off Subject Detection when this happens. I do this with a button touch and the camera instantly switches to zone and the CPU has no issue tracking a rapidly approaching bird. I also prefer zone for groups of birds (flocks).
- 11/12/2022 I've experimented with Speed tracking sensitivity of 2. If there is contrast, this works yet if the contrast is low initial acquisition is near impossible. If you run into issues with low contrast focusing switch to 1. Some might want to set up a way to quickly switch. At this point I've seen enough issues to say 1 is the best choice. Also note that AF-C custom settings are just that and have no effect on subject tracking.
Other Settings to change:
Enable Boost
Release/Focus Priority I set AF-C to Release Priority as I want the camera to take a photo when I tell it to and the focus is reliable with most images sharp and occasionally an acceptable sharp image slips in while shooting at 40 FPS.
Turn off "Natural Live View" as this oddly named setting will let you see what your images will look like.
Change “IS Mode” to “shooting Only”. This will save battery power by only activating stabilization when you start focusing by ½ press the release. If you use back button focus, please check on how this works. If you let me know I’ll update this document. Some people have reported this causes issues with Sigma lens using the Fringer adapters. Test before and after changing so you know if you should use constant stabilization for your lens.
The bird/eye focus is extremally good yet there are times when it may not do what you want. Because of this I suggest you program a button to toggle subject detection on and off.
I’ve also programed a button to toggle Human face/eye on and off. It has priority over subject detection so it’s easy to switch between the two with this button.
If you want to change the subject type, use the Q Button. I’ve moved subject detection type to the top left for fast access.
I’ve also programed a button for Focus Mode. When you select this button, the choices appear and you must move between them with the rear command dial or the focus stick. I found it easier to touch this button and then scroll when a front button is used. The reason I put Focus Mode on a button is for situations where single point is needed. I usually keep my camera in zone.
Map ISO to the d-pad up and down buttons. This is an easy way to change the ISO. Up to increase, down to decrease.
I welcome corrections and suggestions.
I hope this helps some of you,
Morris
Ps. Revised 9/6/2022 by removing some historic text that lead to confusion.
9/12/2022 added ISO on d-pad up and down buttons
10/18/2022 mention speed tracking experiment. List reported issues with Sigma lenses and stabilization while shooting. No longer calling the setup draft.
